


A Cold Day In Paris

by Violett92



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: But only a little, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Light Angst, Post-Episode: s03 Chat Blanc, guess who lmao, somebody gets akumatized
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:55:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27395314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violett92/pseuds/Violett92
Summary: Adrien Agreste was having what was, arguably, the worst day of his life. Between barely getting any sleep after a late-night akuma, doing ‘below average’ in his early morning photo shoot, and being chewed out by his father after the fact, Adrien’s nerves were pushing the line of a mental breakdown.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 19
Kudos: 240





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was only supposed to be a one-shot, but it turned out a little longer than I hoped when I actually started writing, so expect, like, 3-5 chapters.

Adrien Agreste was having what was, arguably, the worst day of his life. Between barely getting any sleep after a late-night akuma, doing ‘below average’ in his early morning photo shoot, and being chewed out by his father after the fact, Adrien’s nerves were pushing the line of a mental breakdown. 

Things were finally starting to look up when he made it to class, settling in next to his best friend and letting out a relieved breath. Nino had brought his three friends a copy of his newest music playlist he’d made for them, Alya showed them a really flattering picture of Chat bent at the waist and kissing Ladybug’s hand as she smiled warmly at him—even though she’d pushed him away by a finger to his nose only seconds later—and Marinette brought a bag of freshly baked goodies to share with the class. She’d even brought several of his favorite flavor macarons—passionfruit—which Adrien hadn’t even known existed until that very moment. 

Yes, things were looking incredibly bright for the rest of Adrien’s day. Unfortunately, he should have known better than to get his hopes up when Chloé walked through the classroom door, took one look at the box of pastries on Marinette’s desk, and scoffed.

“You really shouldn’t eat those, Adrikins,” she sang, snatching the macaron from Adrien’s fingers and tossing it into the trash behind her. “She probably put something in them.” 

He distantly heard Alya make some witty retort and watched Marinette, completely unbothered by the comment, only rolled her eyes from where he’d half-turned in his seat to converse before Chloé’s rude interruption. He probably should have left well-enough alone, but a part of him was so fed up with his inability to have _one_ good day that something just _snapped_.

“ _Chloé_ ,” Adrien growled, standing abruptly from his seat and halting her steps toward her own. “What is _wrong_ with you?” 

Any and all conversation in the classroom ground to an abrupt halt at Adrien’s uncharacteristic outburst. Chloé froze, her foot still hovering an inch off the ground, and gaped at him. “ _Excuse me?_ ”

Adrien jumped when he felt a small hand touch his shoulder, his pulse hammering in an unsteady echo through his ears. “Adrien,” Marientte assured gently. “It’s okay.”

“It’s _not_ okay!” he snapped, whirling around to face her. His heart was racing and his palms were sweating and he knew his breathing was too hard and fast to be considered normal or healthy. “This is not okay at all! She can’t just treat you like shit and expect nobody to say anything!” 

It was _not_ okay, not in the slightest, and yet he’d never said or done anything about it before. He’d watched Chloé pick on his friends hundreds of times, watched Lila lie to them as easily as breathing, and yet he’d done _nothing_ . Nothing about this situation was fine, and neither was he. He was tired and overwhelmed and so, _so_ done watching people with power and a name walk over everyone else like they’re _beneath_ them with no consequences.

Marinette’s face softened into a small, reassuring smile. Her voice was low when she spoke. “I’m not going to let her walk all over me, but I don’t want to cause an unnecessary fight, either.” 

“Adrikins,” Chloé cooed, cocking a hip and folding her arms across her chest. She either hadn’t heard Marinette, or didn’t care. Adrien was willing to bet on the latter. “Whatever are you talking about? I’m only trying to help you.” 

“ _Help me?”_ he shrilled, and she flinched. She didn’t care about him, not like she tried to pretend. She thought of him as her property; someone she could control, just like his father. “Chloé, you’re _bullying_ my friend! You just accused her of, what? _Poisoning_ me?” 

“Adrien,” Marinette murmured, much softer and quieter than before. “Adrien, you have to calm down.” She didn’t reach for him again; he wasn’t sure when she let go in the first place. Her voice lowered to almost a whisper as she suggested, “Why don’t we step out into the hallway? It’ll get me away from Chloé and give you a minute to calm down. The last thing we want is to attract an akuma.” 

At the mention of akumas, Adrien closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe. His shoulders were stiff, his fists trembling at his sides, and he realized with a start that she was right. He’d watched people be akumatized for less before. It was honestly a surprise he hadn’t attracted one already.

At his hesitant nod, Marinette carefully grabbed the cuff of his sleeve and tugged him along behind her. He heard Chloé and Alya pick up arguing in the classroom behind them, but he tried to push them out of his mind as Marinette led him down the hallway. She didn’t stop until they reached the entrance to the girl’s locker room, where he rapped the knuckles of her free hand against the door and called, “Is anybody in here?”

Silence met her question, so she pushed open the door and locked it behind her before guiding him by the shoulders to a bench. Gently, she pushed down until he complied and sat, then took the space beside him. With a soft, but determined expression, she asked, “What’s really bothering you, Adrien?” 

He wasn’t sure why, but his eyes burned with tears at the question, and Marinette’s face fell. He was so overwhelmed, all the time, and every day in his civilian life felt like a battle where he no longer knew what he was fighting for—not to mention the actual fighting he did nearly every day to keep Paris safe from akumas.

He meant for his answer to be lighthearted, but it came out choked and heavy. “I’m just so tired, Marinette.” 

Marinette’s eyes filled with tears of her own before she lunged forward and threw her arms around his shoulders. “Oh, Adrien,” she breathed. “I’m so sorry.” 

His face crumbled as he struggled to hold back a sob, his fingers tightening around the back of her shirt. He couldn’t bring himself to speak without breaking.

Her hand rubbed a slow, steady line up and down his back. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

He shook his head, more out of instinct than the truth, before stopping. Adrien wasn’t used to talking to anyone but Nino about his dad, or Ladybug about the strain of fighting akumas, but even then he could never be completely honest with either of them. Nino knew there were certain things Adrien kept a secret, and his Lady never allowed him to speak of his civilian life in vivid detail, but Marinette. . . Maybe he couldn’t tell her the whole truth, but she was understanding and wouldn’t push him for more answers. She was unwaveringly kind, and maybe exactly what he needed to keep him from falling into _Papillon’s_ hands. 

With a deep, shaky breath, Adrien nodded his head. He forced himself out of her arms and shut his eyes tight to keep the tears at bay. If he looked into those big, soft eyes, he was sure to crumble instantly.

He jumped when he felt her fingertips brush gently across his cheek to wipe away a tear that slipped free, and his eyes snapped open in surprise. She’d never touched him so affectionately before, and she must have realized the same thing because she yanked her hand back to her chest as if she’d been burned. “I’m sorry! You just tear a had—I mean, had a tear—“ She froze. Her eyes widened and her skin paled as she stared at something over his shoulder. “Adrien, you need to run. Now.” 

When he didn’t immediately move, too frozen with the knowledge that there must be an akuma behind him—the first he’d ever had to face for himself—she snatched his wrist and yanked him off the bench. She stepped in front of him with squealed shoulders and a determined expression as she stared down the fluttering butterfly, then demanded, “Go, Adrien! I’ll try to keep it away from you while you find help.” 

_No way, Princess_. As if he’d leave her alone with an akuma.

Adrien swung open the door to the locker room, grabbed her hand, and darted down the hallway with Marientte in tow. He glanced around frantically for somewhere safe he could leave her. He needed to transform and either catch the akuma for his Lady, or cataclysm it as a last resort. 

“Let me go!” Marinette cried, startling him. “I can keep it away from you!” 

He cast a sideways glance at her and sent her a small smile. With the anger burning in those blue eyes, she was just as much at risk for akumatization as him. “Not while you’re worried about me, Marinette.” 

Her face burned a pretty shade of red before her eyes narrowed in a determined line. He could already see an idea forming in her mind before she said, “I think you’re right. I’m sorry, but I won’t put you in danger.” 

Adrien had a split second to realize exactly what she was planning, just before she yanked her hand from his and took off running in the opposite direction.

“Marinette!” Adrien cried, watching as the akuma stopped chasing him, veered back and forth, as if unsure who to go to, before ultimately deciding to chase Marinette. Adrien cursed, briefly wondering what she could be thinking about to draw the akuma’s attention entirely, but didn't have much time to think about it before taking off in the direction we went. 

When he found her, she was backed into a corner, eyes wide with panic and fear as she watched the akuma advance on her. Adrien, as always, didn’t think twice before leaping in the way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven’t edited this chapter at all, so I apologize if there’s any horrible typos or mixed present/past tense. I’ll edit either sometime this week, or after I post the last chapter (which is scheduled to post in six days, woo!)

When Marinette saw the akuma closing in, her back to a corner with nowhere to run, her heart seized in panic, but it was nothing compared to seeing a flash of white and golden hair leap between her and the toxic butterfly.

“Adrien!” Marinette cried as he fell to the ground with a yelp, hands clutching his head with his eyes clenched tight. She dropped to her knees in front of him so quickly she was sure they’d bruise, but the ache was the least of her worries at the moment. “Adrien, you have to fight! You can do it! I’ve seen people fight them off before and you’re so, so strong.”

He looked up at her through the tears in his eyes and the purple outline framing his face, no doubt Papillon convincing him to give in. “I-I don’t think I can,” he whimpered.

Marinette could only nod in acceptance and move onto the next course of action. Her hands cupped his jaw as she asked frantically, “Where’s the akumatized object?” 

“I-It’s the lucky charm you gave me, in m-my shirt pocket.” She reached to grab it, but snapped her hand away as the dark magic oozed over him with his whispered, “I’m sorry.” 

She stumbled back with tears burning behind her eyes and clogging her throat as the love of her life lost his free-will to a monster. She wasn’t sure how she would muster the strength to fight him, but she couldn’t waste any more time dwelling on her feelings. Scrambling to her feet, she turned on her heel and ran back to the locker room before he had the chance to attack.

She pressed her back to the door as soon as she made it inside and snapped open her purse. “Are you ready, Tikki?” The dread in her stomach like a dead weight increased tenfold when the kwami hovered before her with a somber expression. “What’s wrong?”

If possible, Tikki’s expression fell even more. “Marinette, he’s—“ 

She didn’t get to finish that thought, not before Marinette heard the unmistakably familiar lullaby that had ingrained itself in her memory like a hot iron, searing and dangerous. Her back hit the wall and she slid to the floor as her partner’s voice trailed through the hallway, creeping ever closer. “Little kitty on a roof, all alone without his lady.” 

She slapped a trembling hand over her mouth to smother the sob scratching to break free. “No— _No_ , Tikki, he can’t be—“ 

Tikki’s antennae dropped. “I’m sorry, Marinette.” 

“I can’t fight him again,” Marinette choked desperately. 

“You can do this,” Tikki encouraged. “We have to save Adrien. Besides, the circumstances are much different now than in the other timeline.” 

Marinette closed her eyes, steeled herself, and nodded. “Okay,” she breathed, then swallowed past the lump in her throat. Her hands still trembled and her knees felt weak, but she couldn't leave Adrien—Chat Noir, her _partner_ —to face this alone. She couldn’t give him the chance to destroy the world again, if not for everyone else’s sake then his own; he would never forgive himself for hurting anyone, especially those he cared about. “Okay, I can do this.”

She called for her transformation and slipped through a nearby window, but hesitated to search for her partner. She told herself it was to form a proper plan, but she knew she was stalling to collect herself. It isn’t for another ten or so minutes that she finally circled around and entered through a classroom window to search the building.

“Ladybug?” a familiar voice whispered, and she whipped around to find Alya and Nino huddled under a desk. It was a starling change from Alya typically running into battle with her phone raised to livestream the attacks. “Ladybug, the akuma is—“

“I know.” She clenched her eyes shut and balled her fists at her side to keep them from shaking again. “I don’t know if I can do this again,” she choked. 

Nino’s eyebrows furrowed as his arm tightened around his girlfriend. “Again?” 

She knew she was stalling for time, but anything was easier than running out there and facing her partner. Her feet shifted anxiously as she admitted, “I—I’ve fought him before.” 

Alya frowned. “There’s no way I would’ve missed that.” 

Ladybug shook her head. “The timeline was erased. If he uses his cataclysm, he’ll destroy the world.” Her eyes dropped to her feet. “When I fought him before, he’d split the moon in half and nobody in Paris had survived—not even my future self or Papillon. The entire world was flooded and—I barely stopped him before he destroyed our entire universe.” 

Nino’s eyes widened and Alya’s hand raised to cover her mouth in shock. “How is he so powerful?” 

“I don’t know.” Ladybug raised her eyes to the window and glanced outside, then moved to the door to glance into the hallway for Chat Blanc. “I think it’s safe to leave. Try to get everyone out of the building you can while I find him and keep him away.” 

✦

When she finally found Chat Blanc, it was on the rooftop of the school. A disorienting sense of _deja vú_ washed over her as she stared at her partner, perched on the edge of the building and humming quietly to himself, his tail lashing wildly behind him.

“ _Chaton_ ,” she murmured. She hated the way her voice trembled with the endearment.

He turned to her with a beaming smile, much like he had in the timeline she’d fixed, and she nearly choked. “M’lady!”

Her throat clogged with emotion, Ladybug wondered if this was the way it happened then. He’d said their love did this, but that didn’t make any sense. Adrien didn’t know about her feelings, nor her identity, and this had nothing to do with her name on his gift. Did that mean he was doomed to this fate? Was Adrien destined to be akumatized into Chat Blanc, only to destroy the moon and the world and everyone he cared about within it?

She remembered standing on the rooftop with her partner as a tear slipped from his eye and he silently begged her to _save him_. At that moment, here, she vowed that she would. Always.

He leapt to his feet and started toward her, but froze when she took a hesitant step back. She swallowed past the lump in her throat at the way his eyes flashed with sadness, and forced herself to take a step toward him, two, three, until she was close enough to feel his cool breath fan against her face as he looked down at her. Even now, under Papillon’s control, she could still see the love and unwavering trust in his eyes. 

She raised a hand to cradle the side of his face, and whispered softly, “Adrien, I know you’re in there. Please, fight. Fight for me.” 

Something flashed in his eyes—recognition, maybe, from the only way she could possibly know who he was—before the butterfly outline appeared over his face. His pupils thinned into slits and his grin twisted into something sinister. “I understand, now.” Her hands fell and she stumbled back as he took an unexpected, abrupt step toward her. “I never made you uncomfortable, did I, Marinette? That look in your eyes says it all. I’m _him_. It’s been me all along, hasn’t it, M’lady? I‘m the other guy!” 

The burning behind her eyes gave way as a tear slipped free, and his face twitched with a hint of concern. “Please, Kitty,” she begged. “I can’t fight you again.” 

The glowing outline appeared again, but he ignored it as his face twisted deeper into a frown. “Again?” 

Ladybug swallowed. “You were akumatized after you found out my identity, and you ended the world. Bunnix sent me into the future to save you, then back to the past to rewrite my mistake.” She took a risk and cupped his face in her hands again, begging him with her eyes to come back to her. “Please, just give me the bracelet.” 

He stiffened as the glowing outline appeared once more, and his eyes darted to her earnings. 

Heart bounding against her sternum, she slowly stepped closer to wrap her arms around his waist and tucked her face into his chest, reveling in the sound of his heartbeat reminding her that he was alive and safe. “ _Let me save you._ ” 

Chat Blanc leapt back like he’d been burned, eyes wide with fear. “I won’t remember anything. I won’t remember who you are!” 

She followed him a step and took his hands in hers. “I’ll remember. I’ll tell you again.” 

His eyes narrowed in scrutiny before he shook his head. “No, you won’t. Our identities are too important to you.”

Damn him for knowing her so well. “I already know yours, Adrien. My Miraculous Cure won’t fix that, and it wouldn’t be fair of me to keep this secret to myself, would it?” 

Even as she said it, she knew the words were true. It _wasn’t_ fair to keep her identity a secret from him after learning his own, no matter the risk of knowing their identities. After this whole ordeal, Papillon probably already knew them; she made a mental note to address how to deal with that later.

Chat Blanc tipped his head curiously, considering, before that sinister smile was back. He leaned closer to her, watching her closely. “Are you lying?” 

She pressed her hands to his chest, and made the decision she couldn’t in the other timeline—she raised on her toes and pressed her lips to his. Chat instantly melted into the kiss, his arms sliding around her waist to tug her impossibly closer, and her heartbeat roared in her ears. He chased her lips when she pulled away to rest her forehead against his. 

“You will always be my _Chaton_ ,” she murmured, before snapping the string on the bracelet she’d slipped from his pocket. Chat Blanc stared with wide eyes as the akuma was freed and purified, and the magic rushed over him to leave Adrien Agreste before her. “Miraculous Ladybug,” she murmured, with half the enthusiasm she usually felt. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, I know cannon implies that Gabriel decides the name and appearance of his akumas, and came up with Chat Blanc after finding out Adrien was Chat Noir, but I really wanted to use Chat Blanc for this fic instead of a more Adrien-based akuma for reveal purposes. 
> 
> So, ya know, deal with it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! It’s a little half-assed, so I might come back one day and touch this fic up a little, but we’ll see. Sorry for the late update, it completely slipped my mind.

Adrien blinked in confusion as he took in the scene round him. He was standing on the school’s rooftop in his civilian clothes, held tight in Ladybug’s embrace as her forehead rested against his. “Ladybug?” he murmured, his memory foggy. “What happened?” 

She pulled back to look at him, and the look in her eyes told him everything he needed to know a second before the memories of his breakdown and Marinette came flooding back, and realization washed over him like ice water waking him up from a long slumber. “ _Mon Dieu_ , was I—“ 

Any and all thoughts ground to a sudden halt as Ladybug—his lady, the love of his life—cupped his face and kissed him. A small, startled squeak escaped him before he gathered his wits and deepened the kiss, his arms circling around her waist. He pulled her tight against him, the feeling of her racing heart against his chest sending his blood pumping through his veins like fire. 

The moment crumbled when he pulled away to find her face full of tears. “What’s wrong?” he frantically questioned, his own hands finding her face and rising it to face him when she tried to turn away.

She scrubbed a palm against her eye and sniffed. Her voice was unsteady when she said, “I’m sorry, Kitty.” 

_Oh_ , he thought, as realization washed over him. _She knows_. “What happened to me, M’lady?” 

That must have been the wrong thing to say because her face crumbled and she choked on a sob. “Hey, it’s okay,” he assured, wrapping her in a tight hug and tucking her face into his neck with a hand on the back of her head. “I’m me again. I didn’t cause too much damage, did I, Bugaboo?”

She shook her head and croaked, “None.” 

The breath he’d been holding left him in a rush. _Dieu merci_. “Then why are you crying?”

Her grip around his waist tightened. “If I would’ve just transformed then instead of running around like an idiot trying to catch that akuma, you wouldn’t have been caught.” He frowned and pulled back to look down at her, but she kept her face tucked securely into his chest. He opened his mouth to ask what she meant, but the words died in his throat when he heard her murmur, “Spots off.”

Adrien winced as the bright light from her transformation washed over her and left Marinette standing before him, hands clenching onto his shirt like a lifeline as her shoulders trembled. He pulled her tighter against him, determined to hold in his excitement until later. His lady needed him right now. “It’s not your fault, Princess,” he whispered against her hairline.

She choked on another sob and tightened her arms around him. “Y-You don’t seem very surprised to find out I’m your ‘just a friend’.”

A startled laugh erupted from him at that and he pressed a delicate, lingering kiss to her forehead. “I think I’ve known you were more than just a friend for a while, Bug. I just didn’t want to believe it until I knew for sure that I didn’t love two different people.” 

She pulled back—finally—to look at him. “You suspected me?” 

He nodded. “I was almost positive until I saw Marinette and Ladybug standing next to each other. How did you do that, anyway?” 

She giggled, and the sight and sound had his heart soaring high above the skyline. _Dieu_ , he loved her so much. “I combined Trixx and Mullo to make an illusion.” 

He shook his head fondly and pulled her closer. “I forget how clever you are sometimes. Maybe _you_ should’ve gotten Plagg.” 

She laughed, and he knew for a fact she would have smacked his shoulder if her hands were free. “Maybe I like having you as my kitty.” 

He raised his eyebrows, lips raising into a cheeky grin. “Your Kitty?” 

Her face flushed a shade of red darker than her suit. “I-I mean, only if you want to be!” 

“I’ve always been yours,” he promised, before kissing her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this, check out some of my other (better) works! 
> 
> If you’re looking for some good fica to read, I have some of the best saved in my public bookmarks! Just filter ‘Miraculous Ladybug’ and you’ll find hundreds of the greatest, most popular, and most under-rated COMPLETED fics I’ve had the pleasure of reading.


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